BOOK REVIEW. Glimpses of Eternity: New Near-Death Experiences Examined, by Arvin S. Gibson. Bountiful, UT: Horizon Publishers, pp., $18.95.

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "BOOK REVIEW. Glimpses of Eternity: New Near-Death Experiences Examined, by Arvin S. Gibson. Bountiful, UT: Horizon Publishers, pp., $18.95."

Transcription

1 BOOK REVIEW Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University Glimpses of Eternity: New Near-Death Experiences Examined, by Arvin S. Gibson. Bountiful, UT: Horizon Publishers, pp., $ The near-death experience (NDE) is gaining increasing scientific respectability and some scientists are beginning to study near-death accounts seriously. Arvin Gibson is one of these individuals. His sci entific credentials are impressive and have conditioned him to ap proach any problem with an open and questioning mind. He has an engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley and has worked for many years as a nuclear engineer. He has also done postgraduate work at the International School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, the University of California at Los Angeles, General Electric, and the Edison Electric Institute. Gibson's book follows in the footsteps of the work Craig Lundahl and I published on Mormon NDEs a decade ago (Lundahl and Wid dison, 1983a, 1983b). Given the author's stated objectives, it is sur prising that he made no attempt to integrate this earlier research into his book. Though Glimpses of Eternity is written primarily for a Mormon or Latter Day Saints (LDS) audience, it is a rich source of NDE cases. In reading this book, it appears that the author was attempting to write to both an LDS lay audience and a scientific or professional audience. It is difficult to write for both in the same volume. Gibson's father had had an NDE in 1922, but it was not until Gib son read books on the NDE by Raymond Moody (1975) and George Ritchie (Ritchie and Sherrill, 1978) on the NDE that his interest in the subject was aroused: Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D., is Professor of Medical Sociology at Northern Arizona University. Reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. Widdison at the Department of Sociology, Box 15300, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ Journal of Near-Death Studies. 13(3) Spring Human Sciences Press, Inc. 197

2 198 JOURNAL OF NEAR-DEATH STUDIES [D]espite the fact that NDEs are spiritual by their very nature, few authors have attempted to correlate the experience with Christian and Jewish religious teachings and literature.... I wrote this book, then, to fulfill a perceived need by relating new NDEs to LDS scripture and literature. In doing so I hasten to explain that I do not, and cannot, speak for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.... Rather, I speak as a person who has spent a lifetime as a member of the Church. The book has two major objectives: (1) To offer new accounts of NDEs and other analogous experi ences, and to present the data as it was received during interviews with the people who had these unusual experiences. (2) To attempt to provide meaning to and understanding of the new experiences detailed in this book, and some others from the literature, by reviewing the events in the light of LDS scriptures and teachings. Gibson noted that Duane Crowther had written a book in 1967, eight years before Moody's book, that documented many NDEs of members of the LDS Church over many years. Crowther attempted to correlate these NDEs with Mormon doctrine. His NDEs tended to be abstracted segments of much longer accounts, as are those of many NDE authors. Gibson, on the other hand, included complete accounts as reported to him without editorializing. In reporting how the research was conducted, Gibson noted: Three types of research were conducted for this book: 1) seeking and obtaining first-hand (and in some instances second-hand) ac counts from individuals who had undergone NDEs; 2) reviewing much of the available literature on NDEs; and 3) reviewing and comparing events from NDEs with LDS scripture and teachings... I screened out, ahead of time, those individuals who did not proceed from an NDE into an out-of-body, or as minimum, an unusual spiri tual experience. In soliciting candidates to interview, no attempt was made to screen for religious or non-religious beliefs. The only criterion that had to be met was that the candidate had undergone some type of NDE which led to an out-of-body or related spiritual event. By rea son of the location of the interviews - the Greater Salt Lake City region - most of those interviewed (7 1%) professed allegiance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint (Mormon Church). All the interviews were taped, later typed, and then forwarded in draft form to the respondent. The respondents then made any corrections that they felt were appropriate to make the written ac counts correspond precisely to their memory of what happened.

3 HAROLD A. WIDDISON 199 Regardless of the reasons why Gibson wrote this book, it contains detailed unedited first-person accounts that can be used by any other near-death researchers. A growing data base will enable researchers to compare across borders and religions. Groups such as the Mor mons represent a gold mine for near-death research because they encourage the recording of significant events that occur in the lives of their members. Mormon accounts of their experience with the "other side" were analyzed previously by Crowther (1967). Though his intention was to demonstrate that official Mormon theology was supported by near death experiences, the accounts are detailed enough that they can be examined and evaluated by contemporary researchers. I am not aware of any other systematic attempt to collect, preserve, and make detailed NDE accounts available to researchers. Occasionally ac counts are published in various professional journals, usually to make some point because of some unique aspect. These accounts are intriguing, but only hint at the vast untapped potential that exists. Because the NDE meshes so closely with Mormon theology, some Mormon authors collect them as supportive evidence of their religious beliefs. Regardless of why books describing NDEs are written, they con tribute to a growing body of data that is then available for exami nation and evaluation by other near-death researchers. The attempt to use NDE accounts as proof of the validity of their unique theo logical belief, or in more scholarly terms, place them in some theo retical context, is no different from other researchers' attempts to hypothesize how and where they fit in the overall scheme of things, as Kenneth Ring did in Heading Tbward Omega (1984). It would be interesting and informative to compare and contrast NDE accounts collected from individuals from radically different religious perspec tives for their similarities and differences. I am aware of recent books containing accounts of Mormon NDErs written by Crowther (1967), Joseph Heinerman (1978), Michele Sorensen and David Willmore (1988), and Lee Nelson (1988, 1989, 1990). Glimpses of Eternity, the latest collection of Mormon NDEs, is di vided into two major parts. Part I is a verbatim account of all the NDEs. Gibson presents each experience just as it was recounted to him, reserving his analysis until Part II. He clusters the accounts under common themes, such as "Unusual Healings," "A Majestic Be ing," "Fear Not Death," "The Importance of Children," "Family Ties," "Suicide," "Evil Spirits," "People Meeting People," "Being on Trial,"

4 200 JOURNAL OF NEAR-DEATH STUDIES and "Personal Revelation." He makes no attempt to measure the depth of the NDE, and in some sections of the book makes no clear distinction between NDEs, out-of-body experiences, and visions. Part II represents Gibson's attempt to relate these NDEs to the larger body of NDE accounts, to each other, and to Mormon theology. He clusters his analysis according to major elements and common themes discovered by other near-death researchers and in the ac counts he collected, such as the light, life's purpose, spirit bodies and physical bodies, the other world, evil spirits, the power of God, judg ment and revelation, and deity. Gibson concludes with a discussion of various interpretations of human destiny. In his analysis, Gibson excerpts from the accounts illustrative ex amples and relates them to Mormon doctrine. He then looks at the reports of other near-death researchers for similarities. When ac counts were encountered that do not fit the "traditional NDE" or his personal beliefs, he reports them anyway, identifying their unique qualities and discussing what they would seem to suggest about near death phenomena. This is particularly true in his section on evil spir its, the other world, and the power of God. Most people experiencing an NDE report very positive feelings and experiences, but Gibson discovered that some encountered a Dark Side. While these unpleasant experiences are not totally new, they do contribute to the literature on the subject. One respondent told about seeing "a giant geometric shape in space." This respondent, unlike others, reported that he "did not believe in God or had great doubts about life after death." This report puzzled Gibson in that it did not fit anything he had read in the near-death literature. It was not until he read Phyllis Atwater's account (1988) of one of her ex periences that he found any similarities. One thing that impressed me about Gibson's accounts and other Mormon NDEs is the extensive detail reporting of what the respon dents saw and did. In chapter 16, for example, Gibson relates two separate incidents in which individuals experienced what they be lieved was a trial. They found themselves the subject of a discussion or debate between deceased relatives and others as to whether they should return to this world or stay in the spirit world. The deciding factor was the probability of their actually doing the things it was important for them to accomplish on earth.

5 HAROLD A. WIDDISON 201 Gibson does not argue that the accounts he and others have col lected prove there is life after death. But he does show that their features correlate very closely with Mormon religious belief. It would be quite informative if individuals from different religions also col lected NDE accounts from their members and reported them in their entirety. This could help researchers study the extent to which re ligious perceptions impact on the accounts reported. Glimpses of Eternity represents an objective attempt to look at con temporary NDEs and judge how well they fit existing theoretical or theological models. The accounts are complete enough to allow re searchers to do further analysis in areas such as the conditions under which the NDEs occur, the relationship between the circumstances leading up to the NDE and the nature of the NDE, the purpose of the NDE as perceived by the individual NDEr, what the NDE would seem to reveal about what occurs at death, what the afterlife is like, what activities or relationships exist in the afterlife, and the impact that NDEs have on NDErs themselves. Melvin Morse has attempted to address this last point in his most recent book (Morse and Perry, 1992), and Lundahl and I have ana lyzed the existing Mormon literature for what the afterlife is like (Widdison and Lundahl, 1993) and for activities and relationships in the afterlife (Lundahl and Widdison, 1993). The other areas of study listed above have been mentioned by various researchers but mainly as side issues. More systematic research is needed to address these points. George Gallup's poll taken in estimated that at least 8 million Americans have had an NDE (Gallup and Proctor, 1982). If this figure is typical of other nations then the NDE would appear to be a common part of the human experience and, if this is true, then there is no reason why NDEs should not be a subject of serious scientific inquiry. There seems to be no question but that NDEs are real experiences and that they have a significant and permanent ef fect on those who have them. The scientific community is still not in agreement, however, as to what NDEs are or what they represent. Nevertheless, the overall consistency in the nature and content of NDEs is intriguing and merits the same objective and unbiased sci entific inquiry as any other recurring phenomenon. Glimpses of Eternity poses interesting hypotheses as to what the experience represents and a theological theoretical framework con-

6 202 JOURNAL OF NEAR-DEATH STUDIES sistent with both Mormon and non-mormon experiences. It should definitely be added to the library of any student of the near-death experience. References Atwater, P. M. H. (1988). Coming back to life: The after-effects of the near-death ex perience. New York, NY: Dodd, Mead. Crowther, D. (1967). Life everlasting. Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft. Gallup G., Jr., and Proctor, W. (1982). Adventures in immortality: A look beyond the threshold of death. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Heinerman, J. (1978). Spirit world manifestations. Salt Lake City, UT: Magazine Print ing and Publishing. Lundahl, C. R., and Widdison, H. A. (1983a). The Mormon explanation of the near death experience. Anabiosis: The Journal of Near-Death Studies, 3, Lundahl, C. R., and Widdison, H. A. (1983b). A comparison of LDS conceptions of the afterlife and the afterlife in LDS near-death experiences. Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, 6, Lundahl, C. R., and Widdison, H. A. (1993). Social positions in the City of Light. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 11, Moody, R. A., Jr. (1975). Life after life. Covington, GA: Mockingbird. Morse, M., and Perry, P. (1992).Transformed by the light: The powerful effect of near death experiences on people's lives. New York, NY: Villard. Nelson, L. (1988). Beyond the veil. plume I. Orem, UT: Cedar Fort. Nelson, L. (1989). Beyond the veil. plume II. Orem, UT: Cedar Fort. Nelson, L. (1990). Beyond the veil. plume III. Orem, UT: Cedar Fort. Ring, K. (1984). Heading toward omega: In search of the meaning of the near-death experience. New York, NY: William Morrow. Ritchie, G., with Sherrill, E. (1978). Return from tomorrow. Waco, TX: Chosen Books. Sorensen, M. R., and Willmore, D. R. (1988). The journey beyond life. W lume I. Orem, UT: Family Affair Books. Widdison, H. A., and Lundahl, C. R. (1993). The physical environment in the City of Light. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 11,

Review of The Eternal Journey

Review of The Eternal Journey LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 57 Review of The Eternal Journey To the Editor: In the Fall 1999 issue of the Journal, Jenny Wade reviewed our book, The Eternal Journey. However, her review of the book was overshadowed

More information

Angels in Near-Death Experiences

Angels in Near-Death Experiences Angels in Near-Death Experiences Craig R. Lundahl, Ph.D. Western New Mexico University ABSTRACT: The literature on near-death experiences (NDEs) contains no substantive discussion of angels in NDEs, even

More information

Lessons From Near-Death Experiences for Humanity

Lessons From Near-Death Experiences for Humanity Guest Editorial Lessons From Near-Death Experiences for Humanity Craig R. Lundahl, Ph.D. Western New Mexico University ABSTRACT: A considerable amount of information on the aftereffects of near-death experiences

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Kevin J. Drab

BOOK REVIEW. Kevin J. Drab BOOK REVIEW A Collection of Near-Death Research Readings compiled by Craig R. Lundahl - Nelson-Hall, $19.95 Kevin J. Drab Despite continuing public interest in near-death experiences (NDEs), a literary

More information

A Comparison of Retrospective Accounts of Childhood Near-Death Experiences with Contemporary Pediatric Near-Death Experience Accounts

A Comparison of Retrospective Accounts of Childhood Near-Death Experiences with Contemporary Pediatric Near-Death Experience Accounts A Comparison of Retrospective Accounts of Childhood Near-Death Experiences with Contemporary Pediatric Near-Death Experience Accounts William J. Serdahely, Ph.D. Montana State University ABSTRACT: I compared

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Kenneth Ring Department of Psychology University of Connecticut

BOOK REVIEW. Kenneth Ring Department of Psychology University of Connecticut BOOK REVIEW Adventures in Immortality: A Look Beyond the Threshold of Death by George Gallup, Jr. with William Proctor - McGraw Hill, $12.95. Kenneth Ring Department of Psychology University of Connecticut

More information

BOOK REVIEW. B. Grant Bishop, M.D. Bountiful, UT

BOOK REVIEW. B. Grant Bishop, M.D. Bountiful, UT BOOK REVIEW B. Grant Bishop, M.D. Bountiful, UT Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology, by Arvin S. Gibson. Bountiful, UT: Horizon,

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Jenny Wade, Ph.D. Institute of Transpersonal Psychology

BOOK REVIEW. Jenny Wade, Ph.D. Institute of Transpersonal Psychology Jenny Wade, Ph.D. Institute of Transpersonal Psychology The Eternal Journey: How Near-Death Experiences Illuminate our Earthly Lives, by Craig R. Lundahl and Harold A. Widdison. New York, NY: Warner, 1997,

More information

Prevalence of Near-Death Experiences in Australia

Prevalence of Near-Death Experiences in Australia Prevalence of Near-Death Experiences in Australia Mahendra Perera, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., M.D., MRCPsych, FRANZCP Albert Road Clinic, Melbourne, Australia Gayan Padmasekara Monash University, Clayton, Australia

More information

Otherworld Personal Future Revelations in Near-Death Experiences

Otherworld Personal Future Revelations in Near-Death Experiences Otherworld Personal Future Revelations in Near-Death Experiences Craig R. Lundahl, Ph.D. Western New Mexico University ABSTRACT: Kenneth Ring (1982) described two kinds of precognitive vi sions in the

More information

Thomas Kuhn Revisited: Near-Death Studies and Paradigm Shifts

Thomas Kuhn Revisited: Near-Death Studies and Paradigm Shifts Guest Editorial Thomas Kuhn Revisited: Near-Death Studies and Paradigm Shifts William J. Serdahely, Ph.D. Montana State University ABSTRACT: Near-death studies can be viewed within a theoretical frame

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University

BOOK REVIEW. Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University BOOK REVIEW Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University Children of the New Millennium: Children's Near-Death Experi ences and the Evolution of Humankind, by P. M. H. Atwater. New York, NY: Three

More information

Nursing Care Guidelines for Adults who have had Near -Death Experience's

Nursing Care Guidelines for Adults who have had Near -Death Experience's Nursing Care Guidelines for Adults who have had Near -Death Experience's 9/26/2013 Diane Corcoran RN, MA, PhD. 1 OBJECTIVES FOR LECTURE Definition of NDE Discuss Key Authors in NDE Research Characteristic

More information

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor Millennarian Prophecies To the Editor: Craig Lundahl, in his article in the Spring 1999 issue of this Journal, warned us that we ignore the parallels between Biblical and Mormon prophecies

More information

Moses' "Revelation" on Mount Horeb as a Near-Death Experience

Moses' Revelation on Mount Horeb as a Near-Death Experience Guest Editorial Moses' "Revelation" on Mount Horeb as a Near-Death Experience Dov Steinmetz, M.D. Central Emek Hospital, Afula, Israel ABSTRACT: Moses, the leader and lawgiver to the people of Israel,

More information

The Near-Death Experience: A Theoretical Summarization

The Near-Death Experience: A Theoretical Summarization The Near-Death Experience: A Theoretical Summarization Craig R. Lundahl, Ph.D. Western New Mexico University ABSTRACT: This article (a) outlines a systematic theory of the near-death experience (NDE) based

More information

Near-Death Experience Patterns From Research in the Salt Lake City Region

Near-Death Experience Patterns From Research in the Salt Lake City Region Near-Death Experience Patterns From Research in the Salt Lake City Region Arvin S. Gibson Bountiful, UT ABSTRACT: From 1990 to 1993, approximately 100 subjects in the Salt Lake City, Utah, region were

More information

The Absence of Tunnel Sensations in Near-Death Experiences from India

The Absence of Tunnel Sensations in Near-Death Experiences from India The Absence of Tunnel Sensations in Near-Death Experiences from India Allan Kellehear, Ph.D. La Thobe University Ian Stevenson, M.D. University of Virginia Satwant Pasricha, Ph.D. National Institute of

More information

BOOK REVIEW On the Other Side of Life: Exploring the Phenomenon of the Near-Death Experience, by Evelyn Elsaesser Valarino.

BOOK REVIEW On the Other Side of Life: Exploring the Phenomenon of the Near-Death Experience, by Evelyn Elsaesser Valarino. BOOK REVIEW Emily Williams Kelly, Ph.D. University of Virginia On the Other Side of Life: Exploring the Phenomenon of the Near-Death Experience, by Evelyn Elsaesser Valarino. New York: Insight Books, 1997,

More information

Recreating Near-Death Experiences: A Cognitive Approach

Recreating Near-Death Experiences: A Cognitive Approach Recreating Near-Death Experiences: A Cognitive Approach Todd Murphy San Francisco, CA ABSTRACT: I describe a guided meditation that, when used by near-death experiencers (NDErs), recreates fragments of

More information

A Critique of Kellehear's Transcendent Society

A Critique of Kellehear's Transcendent Society A Critique of Kellehear's Transcendent Society Howard A. Mickel, Ph.D. La Jolla, California ABSTRACT." Allan Kellehear argued that the otherworld society envisioned in near-death experiences (NDEs) is

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University

BOOK REVIEW. Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University BOOK REVIEW Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University Experiences Near Death: Beyond Medicine and Religion, by Allan Kellehear. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996, 230 pp., $25.00

More information

Pediatric Near-Death Experiences

Pediatric Near-Death Experiences Pediatric Near-Death Experiences William J. Serdahely, Ph.D. Montana State University ABSTRACT: A review of one previously reported and three new pediatric near-death experiences (NDEs), in which the experiencers

More information

MEETING DEATH WITH HOPE AND UNDERSTANDING

MEETING DEATH WITH HOPE AND UNDERSTANDING MEETING DEATH WITH HOPE AND UNDERSTANDING A bookstudy Text ACTS St David s United Church Calgary Internet Page: death.stdavidscalgary.net Session 4 - Science & Religion Opening Review Ch 6 - The Researchers

More information

Introducing Near-Death Research Findings into Psychotherapy

Introducing Near-Death Research Findings into Psychotherapy Introducing Near-Death Research Findings into Psychotherapy John M. McDonagh, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. Cold Spring Harbor, NY ABSTRACT: Traditionally, it has been regarded as inappropriate for a therapist to introduce

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D. University of Philosophical Research

BOOK REVIEW. Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D. University of Philosophical Research BOOK REVIEW Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D. University of Philosophical Research The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences: The Ultimate Guide to What Happens When We Die, by P. M. H. Atwater. Charlottes ville, VA:

More information

BOOK REVIEW. The Light Beyond, By Raymond A. Moody, Jr. with Paul Perry. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1988, 161 pp., $18.95

BOOK REVIEW. The Light Beyond, By Raymond A. Moody, Jr. with Paul Perry. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1988, 161 pp., $18.95 BOOK REVIEW Judith Miller, Ph.D. Haverford, PA The Light Beyond, By Raymond A. Moody, Jr. with Paul Perry. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1988, 161 pp., $18.95 In his foreword to this book, Andrew Greeley,

More information

World Religions. These subject guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Introduction, Outline and Details all essays sections of this guide.

World Religions. These subject guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Introduction, Outline and Details all essays sections of this guide. World Religions These subject guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Introduction, Outline and Details all essays sections of this guide. Overview Extended essays in world religions provide

More information

Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. Lesson Two Part 3

Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. Lesson Two Part 3 Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. Lesson Two Part 3 Happiness, Suffering and the Love of God Human Transcendence and the Soul Near Death Experiences By Claude LeBlanc, M.A., Magis Center, 2017 Opening Prayer

More information

Response to Is it Rational to Extrapolate from the Presence of Consciousness during a Flat EEG to Survival of Consciousness After Death?

Response to Is it Rational to Extrapolate from the Presence of Consciousness during a Flat EEG to Survival of Consciousness After Death? Letter to the Editor Response to Is it Rational to Extrapolate from the Presence of Consciousness during a Flat EEG to Survival of Consciousness After Death? To the Editor: It is my pleasure to respond

More information

Five Minutes After Death: A Study of Beliefs and Expectations

Five Minutes After Death: A Study of Beliefs and Expectations Five Minutes After Death: A Study of Beliefs and Expectations Allan Kellehear, Ph.D. La Trobe University Harvey Irwin, Ph.D. University of New England ABSTRACT" This paper examines the beliefs and expectations

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Conscious Dreaming: A Spiritual Path for Everyday Life, by Robert Moss. Crown Trade Paperbacks, New York, NY $16.00.

BOOK REVIEW. Conscious Dreaming: A Spiritual Path for Everyday Life, by Robert Moss. Crown Trade Paperbacks, New York, NY $16.00. BOOK REVIEW J. Timothy Green, Ph.D. Capistrano Beach, California Conscious Dreaming: A Spiritual Path for Everyday Life, by Robert Moss. Crown Trade Paperbacks, New York, NY $16.00. Possibly no one has

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D. University of North Texas

BOOK REVIEW. Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D. University of North Texas Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D. University of North Texas A Farther Shore: How Near-Death and Other Extraordinary Experiences Can Change Ordinary Lives, by Yvonne Kason and Teri Degler. Toronto, Ontario: HarperCollins,

More information

Marcel Sarot Utrecht University Utrecht, The Netherlands NL-3508 TC. Introduction

Marcel Sarot Utrecht University Utrecht, The Netherlands NL-3508 TC. Introduction RBL 09/2004 Collins, C. John Science & Faith: Friends or Foe? Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2003. Pp. 448. Paper. $25.00. ISBN 1581344309. Marcel Sarot Utrecht University Utrecht, The Netherlands NL-3508 TC

More information

Near-Death Experiences and EEG Surges at End of Life

Near-Death Experiences and EEG Surges at End of Life LETTER TO THE EDITOR Near-Death Experiences and EEG Surges at End of Life To the Editor: Lakhmir Chawla and colleagues (2009) reported that patients who were at end of life and had life support withdrawn

More information

UNDERSTANDING UNBELIEF Public Engagement Call for Proposals Information Sheet

UNDERSTANDING UNBELIEF Public Engagement Call for Proposals Information Sheet UNDERSTANDING UNBELIEF Public Engagement Call for Proposals Information Sheet Through a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation, the University of Kent is pleased to announce a funding stream

More information

BOOK REVIEW. William J. Serdahely, Ph.D. Montana State University

BOOK REVIEW. William J. Serdahely, Ph.D. Montana State University William J. Serdahely, Ph.D. Montana State University A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, by Stephen W. Hawking. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1988, 198 pp, $18.95 In February of 1989

More information

DEATHBED VISIONS of PRISONERS By Marilyn A. Mendoza, PhD

DEATHBED VISIONS of PRISONERS By Marilyn A. Mendoza, PhD DEATHBED VISIONS of PRISONERS By Marilyn A. Mendoza, PhD While researching my book We Do Not Die Alone: Jesus is Coming to Get Me in a White Pickup Truck, I discovered that not all deathbed visions (DBVs)

More information

Paving a New Frontier: Near-Death Experiences and the Unspoken Aspect of What Researchers Have Faced, and Continue to Face

Paving a New Frontier: Near-Death Experiences and the Unspoken Aspect of What Researchers Have Faced, and Continue to Face 210 Opinion and Perspectives Paving a New Frontier: Near-Death Experiences and the Unspoken Aspect of What Researchers Have Faced, and Continue to Face Cheryl Fracasso ABSTRACT This article provides an

More information

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor Real and Unreal NDEs To the Editor: In many discussions of near-death experiences (NDEs), accounts that seem contradictory or unbelievable sometimes lead people either to reject completely

More information

BOOK REVIEW. P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D.

BOOK REVIEW. P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D. BOOK REVIEW P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D. Charlottesville, VA Hear His Voice: The True Story of a Modern Day Mystical Encounter With God, by Nancy Clark. Baltimore, MD: Publish America, 2005, 181 pp., $19.95

More information

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor Embellishment of Near-Death Experiences To the Editor: In reading the Summer 2007 issue of the Journal of Near-Death Studies, I was especially taken with Keith Augustine's comments

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Thomas A. Angerpointner, M.D., Ph.D. Munich, Germany

BOOK REVIEW. Thomas A. Angerpointner, M.D., Ph.D. Munich, Germany BOOK REVIEW Thomas A. Angerpointner, M.D., Ph.D. Munich, Germany Children of the New Millennium: Children s Near-Death Experiences and the Evolution of Humankind, by P. M. H. Atwater. New York, NY: Three

More information

Unexpected Findings in a Study of Visual Perception During the Naturalistic Near-Death

Unexpected Findings in a Study of Visual Perception During the Naturalistic Near-Death Unexpected Findings in a Study of Visual Perception During the Naturalistic Near-Death Out-of-Body Experience Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D. University of North Texas ABSTRACT: A study (Holden, 1988) of visual

More information

Advancing Scholarly and Public Understanding of Mormonism Around the World. Executive Summary

Advancing Scholarly and Public Understanding of Mormonism Around the World. Executive Summary Advancing Scholarly and Public Understanding of Mormonism Around the World Executive Summary Claremont Graduate University (CGU) proposes to establish a Center for Global Mormon Studies to become the world

More information

The Angel and the Beehive by Armand L. Mauss

The Angel and the Beehive by Armand L. Mauss BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 35 Issue 2 Article 18 4-1-1995 The Angel and the Beehive by Armand L. Mauss Roger Finke Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Recommended

More information

ONTOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF PLURALIST RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

ONTOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF PLURALIST RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES ONTOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF PLURALIST RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES Donald J Falconer and David R Mackay School of Management Information Systems Faculty of Business and Law Deakin University Geelong 3217 Australia

More information

Glimpses of the Beyond

Glimpses of the Beyond Glimpses of the Beyond Experiences Pointing to Life After Death Booklet prepared by International Foundation for Survival Research, Inc. Copyright IFSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cover image by Troy Nilsson.

More information

Charles P. Flynn Department of Sociology Miami University of Ohio

Charles P. Flynn Department of Sociology Miami University of Ohio Meanings and Implications of NDEr Transformations: Some Preliminary Findings and Implications Charles P. Flynn Department of Sociology Miami University of Ohio ABSTRACT Though much need remains for research

More information

Amazing Grace: The Healing Effects of Near-Death Experiences on Those Dying and Grieving

Amazing Grace: The Healing Effects of Near-Death Experiences on Those Dying and Grieving Amazing Grace: The Healing Effects of Near-Death Experiences on Those Dying and Grieving Bruce J. Horacek, Ph.D. University of Nebraska at Omaha ABSTRACT: Kenneth Ring (1991) argued that near-death experiences

More information

Plantinga, Van Till, and McMullin. 1. What is the conflict Plantinga proposes to address in this essay? ( )

Plantinga, Van Till, and McMullin. 1. What is the conflict Plantinga proposes to address in this essay? ( ) Plantinga, Van Till, and McMullin I. Plantinga s When Faith and Reason Clash (IDC, ch. 6) A. A Variety of Responses (133-118) 1. What is the conflict Plantinga proposes to address in this essay? (113-114)

More information

Your Paper. The assignment is really about logic and the evaluation of information, not purely about writing

Your Paper. The assignment is really about logic and the evaluation of information, not purely about writing Your Paper The assignment is really about logic and the evaluation of information, not purely about writing You are to write a paper on the general topic of global warming. The first challenge is to keep

More information

The Possibility of an Afterlife as Examined Through Near-Death Experiences

The Possibility of an Afterlife as Examined Through Near-Death Experiences Student Publications Student Scholarship Fall 2017 The Possibility of an Afterlife as Examined Through Near-Death Experiences Anastasia N. Semenov '21, Gettysburg College Follow this and additional works

More information

[JGRChJ 9 (2013) R28-R32] BOOK REVIEW

[JGRChJ 9 (2013) R28-R32] BOOK REVIEW [JGRChJ 9 (2013) R28-R32] BOOK REVIEW Craig S. Keener, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts (2 vols.; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011). xxxviii + 1172 pp. Hbk. US$59.99. Craig Keener

More information

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor To the Editor: Was Jesus Christ s descent into hell a near-death experience? I want to draw your attention to some passages in the New Testament where we do find mention of the experiences

More information

One Minute After Death A Christian Understanding of What Happens at Death

One Minute After Death A Christian Understanding of What Happens at Death One Minute After Death A Christian Understanding of What Happens at Death This article is also available in Spanish. Written by Rusty Wright Rusty Wright examines the question of what happens to us after

More information

The Examination of Labels A Beginning

The Examination of Labels A Beginning Guest Editorial The Examination of Labels A Beginning Robert P. Smith, Ph.D. Center for the Study of Human Development ABSTRACT: Unclear terminology is a major problem for the study of anoma lies, and

More information

The Human Science Debate: Positivist, Anti-Positivist, and Postpositivist Inquiry. By Rebecca Joy Norlander. November 20, 2007

The Human Science Debate: Positivist, Anti-Positivist, and Postpositivist Inquiry. By Rebecca Joy Norlander. November 20, 2007 The Human Science Debate: Positivist, Anti-Positivist, and Postpositivist Inquiry By Rebecca Joy Norlander November 20, 2007 2 What is knowledge and how is it acquired through the process of inquiry? Is

More information

MathPath 2013 Closing Ceremony Address by Executive Director. Students, parents, staff and faculty:

MathPath 2013 Closing Ceremony Address by Executive Director. Students, parents, staff and faculty: MathPath 2013 Closing Ceremony Address by Executive Director Students, parents, staff and faculty: After the Bible, it is hard to find anything in Western literature that contains so much in so short a

More information

THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS C H A P T E R 3

THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS C H A P T E R 3 THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS C H A P T E R 3 OBJECTIVES You will be able to understand: What does learning by inquiry mean? What qualifies as Scientific Evidence? What is a Scientific Theory? What is a Scientific

More information

To Make True Latter-day Saints : Mormon Recreation in the Progressive Era

To Make True Latter-day Saints : Mormon Recreation in the Progressive Era To Make True Latter-day Saints : Mormon Recreation in the Progressive Era A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

More information

Appendix: The Logic Behind the Inferential Test

Appendix: The Logic Behind the Inferential Test Appendix: The Logic Behind the Inferential Test In the Introduction, I stated that the basic underlying problem with forensic doctors is so easy to understand that even a twelve-year-old could understand

More information

Position Strategies / Structure Presenting the Issue

Position Strategies / Structure Presenting the Issue Position Strategies / Structure Presenting the Issue If it is well known, you may simply mention the topic If it is less familiar, you may need to explain it and define key terms Asserting a clear, unequivocal

More information

BIO 221 Invertebrate Zoology I Spring Course Information. Course Website. Lecture 1. Stephen M. Shuster Professor of Invertebrate Zoology

BIO 221 Invertebrate Zoology I Spring Course Information. Course Website. Lecture 1. Stephen M. Shuster Professor of Invertebrate Zoology BIO 221 Invertebrate Zoology I Spring 2010 Stephen M. Shuster Northern Arizona University http://www4.nau.edu/isopod Lecture 1 Course Information Stephen M. Shuster Professor of Invertebrate Zoology Office:

More information

Additional Information on Tools of Bible Study Part 1

Additional Information on Tools of Bible Study Part 1 Additional Information on Tools of Bible Study Part Sources of Information to Help with Interpretation For the interpreter, books (and other written materials) are almost as essential as a saw and hammer

More information

Kundalini and Healing in the West

Kundalini and Healing in the West Guest Editorial Kundalini and Healing in the West Barbara Harris, RT, CMT Baltimore, MD ABSTRACT: Kundalini rising, and associated profound physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual changes, are occurring

More information

BOOK REVIEW Revealing Heaven: The Eyewitness Accounts that Changed How a Pastor Thinks About the Afterlife

BOOK REVIEW Revealing Heaven: The Eyewitness Accounts that Changed How a Pastor Thinks About the Afterlife BOOK REVIEW Robert Perry, B.A. Cranborne, United Kingdom Revealing Heaven: The Eyewitness Accounts that Changed How a Pastor Thinks About the Afterlife by John W. Price, New York, NY: HarperOne, 2013,

More information

PHI 1700: Global Ethics

PHI 1700: Global Ethics PHI 1700: Global Ethics Session 3 February 11th, 2016 Harman, Ethics and Observation 1 (finishing up our All About Arguments discussion) A common theme linking many of the fallacies we covered is that

More information

CHURCH GROWTH UPDATE

CHURCH GROWTH UPDATE CHURCH GROWTH UPDATE FLAVIL R. YEAKLEY, JR. Last year, I reported that churches of Christ in the United States are growing once again. I really do not have much to report this year that adds significantly

More information

World View, Metaphysics, and Epistemology

World View, Metaphysics, and Epistemology Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Scientific Literacy and Cultural Studies Project Mallinson Institute for Science Education 1993 World View, Metaphysics, and Epistemology William W. Cobern

More information

More friends and acquaintances from Phenomenology

More friends and acquaintances from Phenomenology More friends and acquaintances from Phenomenology Michael Hesemann of Germany visiting us in Las Vegas. Hesemann has an amazing collection of UFO photos that he has collected around the world. His contacts

More information

T.M. Luhrmann. When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship

T.M. Luhrmann. When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship 49th Parallel, Vol. 32 (Summer 2013) ISSN: 1753-5794 McCrary T.M. Luhrmann. When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012, 434 pp. Robert

More information

BIBLICAL INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE AND MATH. September 29m 2016

BIBLICAL INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE AND MATH. September 29m 2016 BIBLICAL INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE AND MATH September 29m 2016 REFLECTIONS OF GOD IN SCIENCE God s wisdom is displayed in the marvelously contrived design of the universe and its parts. God s omnipotence

More information

SECTION 2: GEOGRAPHY (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY)

SECTION 2: GEOGRAPHY (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY) SECTION 2: GEOGRAPHY (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY) Editor s Note: This is a summary of the full paper, Section 2: Geography, available online at http://www.fairlds.org/dna_evidence_for_book_of_mormon_geography/.

More information

A theory of physical interaction in NDE that explains NDE aftereffects

A theory of physical interaction in NDE that explains NDE aftereffects A theory of physical interaction in NDE that explains NDE aftereffects Solving the hard problem of consciousness Robert and Suzanne Mays http://selfconsciousmind.com 2011 Robert and Suzanne Mays A model

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Jenny Wade, Ph.D. Institute of Transpersonal Psychology

BOOK REVIEW. Jenny Wade, Ph.D. Institute of Transpersonal Psychology BOOK REVIEW Jenny Wade, Ph.D. Institute of Transpersonal Psychology The Journey Home: What Near-Death Experiences and Mysti cism Teach Us about the Gift of Life, by Phillip L. Berman. New York, NY: Pocket

More information

With regard to the use of Scriptural passages in the first and the second part we must make certain methodological observations.

With regard to the use of Scriptural passages in the first and the second part we must make certain methodological observations. 1 INTRODUCTION The task of this book is to describe a teaching which reached its completion in some of the writing prophets from the last decades of the Northern kingdom to the return from the Babylonian

More information

Historical Perspectives on Near-Death Phenomena

Historical Perspectives on Near-Death Phenomena Historical Perspectives on Near-Death Phenomena Barbara A. Walker, Ph.D. Eastern Illinois University William J. Serdahely, Ph.D. Montana State University ABSTRACT: The authors present an introductory overview

More information

BOOK REVIEW. Return From Death: An Exploration of the Near-Death Experience, by Margot Grey. London, England: Arkana, pp., $10.95, paper.

BOOK REVIEW. Return From Death: An Exploration of the Near-Death Experience, by Margot Grey. London, England: Arkana, pp., $10.95, paper. BOOK REVIEW Karlis Osis, Ph.D. American Society for Psychical Research Return From Death: An Exploration of the Near-Death Experience, by Margot Grey. London, England: Arkana, 1985. 206 pp., $10.95, paper.

More information

PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES Philosophy SECTION I: Program objectives and outcomes Philosophy Educational Objectives: The objectives of programs in philosophy are to: 1. develop in majors the ability

More information

Seminary Mission Statement

Seminary Mission Statement New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Cult Theology THEO6306 Professor: Dr. Robert B. Stewart Special Event Course Evangelical Ministries to New Religions April 27-28, 2018 Seminary Mission Statement

More information

Book Review, Exopolitics: Politics, Government and Law in the Universe 158

Book Review, Exopolitics: Politics, Government and Law in the Universe 158 Book Review of Exopolitics: Politics, Government And Law In The Universe by Alfred Webre, J.D. (Universebooks; Filament Books 2005) ISBN: 0-9737663-0-1 Any review of a scholarly work should address three

More information

Who is Able to Tell the Truth? A Review of Fearless Speech by Michel Foucault. Los Angeles, CA: Semiotext(e), 2001.

Who is Able to Tell the Truth? A Review of Fearless Speech by Michel Foucault. Los Angeles, CA: Semiotext(e), 2001. Who is Able to Tell the Truth? A Review of Fearless Speech by Michel Foucault. Los Angeles, CA: Semiotext(e), 2001. Gary P. Radford Professor of Communication Studies Fairleigh Dickinson University Madison,

More information

GCE Religious Studies

GCE Religious Studies GCE Religious Studies RST3B Philosophy of Religion Report on the Examination 2060 June 2013 Version: 1.0 Further copies of this Report are available from aqa.org.uk Copyright 2013 AQA and its licensors.

More information

Different Kinds of Near-Death Experience: A Report on a Survey of Near-Death Experiences in Germany

Different Kinds of Near-Death Experience: A Report on a Survey of Near-Death Experiences in Germany Different Kinds of Near-Death Experience: A Report on a Survey of Near-Death Experiences in Germany Prof. Dr. Hubert Knoblauch University of Zürich, Switzerland Ina Schmied, M.A. Institut für Grenzgebiete

More information

What Is Science? Mel Conway, Ph.D.

What Is Science? Mel Conway, Ph.D. What Is Science? Mel Conway, Ph.D. Table of Contents The Top-down (Social) View 1 The Bottom-up (Individual) View 1 How the Game is Played 2 Theory and Experiment 3 The Human Element 5 Notes 5 Science

More information

A Synthesis of Logic, Faith, And Truth. Sulynn Walton. Honors 213 Mathematical Reasoning: Foundations of Geometry

A Synthesis of Logic, Faith, And Truth. Sulynn Walton. Honors 213 Mathematical Reasoning: Foundations of Geometry A Synthesis of Logic, Faith, And Truth Sulynn Walton Honors 213 Mathematical Reasoning: Foundations of Geometry The concept of truth is one highly contingent on the system you use to evaluate your environment.

More information

THE BIRTH OF NEAR-DEATH

THE BIRTH OF NEAR-DEATH THE BIRTH OF NEAR-DEATH P.M.H.Atwater, L.H.D., Ph.D. (Hon.) P. O. Box 7691 Charlottesville, VA 22906-7691 Charlottesville was where it started. 2001 P.M.H.Atwater, L.H.D., Ph.D. (Hon.) A study that was

More information

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission.

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. The Physical World Author(s): Barry Stroud Source: Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, New Series, Vol. 87 (1986-1987), pp. 263-277 Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Aristotelian

More information

Why the Mormon Missionaries Haven t Converted Me Yet. Revision History Revision Mon Sep 10 12:44:17 MDT 2018

Why the Mormon Missionaries Haven t Converted Me Yet. Revision History Revision Mon Sep 10 12:44:17 MDT 2018 Why the Mormon Missionaries Haven t Converted Me Yet A. Cynic Revision History Revision Mon Sep 10 12:44:17 MDT 2018 AC Table of Contents 1. Mormon Recap... 1 1.1. The one essential

More information

TILLICH ON IDOLATRY. beyond the God of theism... the ground of being and meaning" (RS, p. 114). AUL TILLICH'S concept of idolatry, WILLIAM P.

TILLICH ON IDOLATRY. beyond the God of theism... the ground of being and meaning (RS, p. 114). AUL TILLICH'S concept of idolatry, WILLIAM P. P TILLICH ON IDOLATRY WILLIAM P. ALSTON* AUL TILLICH'S concept of idolatry, although it seems clear enough at first sight, presents on closer analysis some puzzling problems. Since this concept is quite

More information

Philosophy 1100 Honors Introduction to Ethics

Philosophy 1100 Honors Introduction to Ethics Philosophy 1100 Honors Introduction to Ethics Lecture 2 Introductory Discussion Part 2 Critical Thinking, Meta-Ethics, Philosophy, and Religion An Overview of the Introductory Material: The Main Topics

More information

Book Reviews 427. University of Manchester Oxford Rd., M13 9PL, UK. doi: /mind/fzl424

Book Reviews 427. University of Manchester Oxford Rd., M13 9PL, UK. doi: /mind/fzl424 Book Reviews 427 Whatever one might think about the merits of different approaches to the study of history of philosophy, one should certainly admit that Knuutilla s book steers with a sure hand over the

More information

The Field of Near-Death Studies Through 2001: An Analysis of the Periodical Literature

The Field of Near-Death Studies Through 2001: An Analysis of the Periodical Literature The Field of Near-Death Studies Through 2001: An Analysis of the Periodical Literature Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D., LPC, LMFT, NCC, CST University of North Texas Rozan Christian, Ph.D. Dallas, TX ABSTRACT:

More information

What s the purpose of life and existence?

What s the purpose of life and existence? What s the purpose of life and existence? The purpose of life/existence can be one of: 1. Pre-determined by the 'Creator(s)' 2. Determined by an individual or individuals during the existence of everything.

More information

Human Nature & Human Diversity: Sex, Love & Parenting; Morality, Religion & Race. Course Description

Human Nature & Human Diversity: Sex, Love & Parenting; Morality, Religion & Race. Course Description Human Nature & Human Diversity: Sex, Love & Parenting; Morality, Religion & Race Course Description Human Nature & Human Diversity is listed as both a Philosophy course (PHIL 253) and a Cognitive Science

More information

embrace or reject the claims of one religious belief system over any of the others.

embrace or reject the claims of one religious belief system over any of the others. Josh Payne Apologetics Professor Keith Plummer It doesn t matter what you believe, as long as it s meaningful to you. People should be free to believe whatever makes them feel fulfilled or happy. Who are

More information

SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH IN PHILOSOPHY. Contents

SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH IN PHILOSOPHY. Contents UNIT 1 SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH IN PHILOSOPHY Contents 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Research in Philosophy 1.3 Philosophical Method 1.4 Tools of Research 1.5 Choosing a Topic 1.1 INTRODUCTION Everyone who seeks knowledge

More information

BSTC1003 Introduction to Religious Studies (6 Credits)

BSTC1003 Introduction to Religious Studies (6 Credits) BSTC1003 Introduction to Religious Studies (6 Credits) [A Core Course of Minor in Buddhist Studies Programme] (Course is open to students from all HKU faculties) Lecturer: G.A. Somaratne, PhD Tel: 3917-5076

More information

Authorship of the History of Brigham Young: A Review Essay

Authorship of the History of Brigham Young: A Review Essay BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 22 Issue 3 Article 7 7-1-1982 Authorship of the History of Brigham Young: A Review Essay Howard C. Searle Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq

More information